Driving While Drowsy: A Leading Cause of Florida Truck Crashes

Because of the size and weight of a tractor-trailer, a Florida truck crash can leave an overwhelming amount of destruction in its wake. These machines need to be driven by experienced professionals who take the responsibilities of operating a semi-truck seriously; however, many truckers are doing just the opposite. They drive recklessly and make negligent decisions which that to hundreds of Florida auto accidents each year.

Florida tractor-trailer wrecks happen for many reasons, but one of the largest contributing factors in semi-truck crashes is drowsy driving. In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has stated that about 31 percent of all heavy truck accidents are due to driver fatigue. Driver fatigue reduces driver performance and causes:

Reduced attention - Attention to tasks has been shown to decrease while drowsy. Truckers drive on "autopilot" and may not give necessary attention to their surroundings.

Increased processing time - Even though a trucker may notice that something is happening around him, he may not process that information until it is too late to react appropriately.

Slow reaction time - Once the information finally gets processed, the trucker's reaction time may be greatly impaired, leading to a devastating Sarasota big rig wreck.

If driving while drowsy causes so many accidents, why do truckers keep doing it? Truckers cause these preventable crashes for many selfish reasons, including:

No matter what the reasons for driving while drowsy may be, there are no acceptable excuses for disregarding Hours-of-Service regulations and driving more hours than allowable. There are no acceptable excuses for putting the lives of innocent people in danger. And there is no acceptable excuse for falling asleep at the wheel and causing a catastrophic Sarasota tractor-trailer accident.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured by a tired trucker's negligent decision to stay behind the wheel, you need to speak with an experienced Sarasota truck crash attorney immediately. Contact the Mallard Law Firm at 1(866)952-1682 to schedule a FREE consultation with a Sarasota semi-truck crash lawyer today.